Adelante Now Educational Foundation Releases New Web Video:
Leaving New Mexico. Why?
Albuquerque, NM – Adelante Now Educational Foundation, a nonpartisan 501c3, released a new web
video named, Leaving New Mexico. Why?

Video: https://youtu.be/QmtIVwFhaXQ

Adelante Now produced and released a new web video to assist all New Mexicans to become aware of a
terrible reality in New Mexico. At the onset of the Covid-19 virus, our state leaders had very difficult
decisions to make; some of those decisions were not well considered. Now New Mexicans are leaving
the state due to harmful policies that were executed by state leadership. Throughout the pandemic,
winners and losers were chosen indiscriminately leading to hundreds of restaurants and small
businesses shuttering, leaving New Mexicans unemployed. Unemployment skyrocketed in early 2020
and has remained high as we entered 2021. However, neighboring states took more well considered
routes and thoughtfully opened their economies, allowing their citizens to return to work, and they
allowed students to go back to school.

“People are leaving New Mexico and we at Adelante Now Foundation asked some of those who have
left, and others who are leaving, the question, “Why,” said Harvey Yates, Jr., president of Adelante Now
Foundation. “As evidenced by the statistics and by earlier studies published by this Foundation and
others, even before the pandemic, policies out of Santa Fe crippled our economy and weakened our
educational system. Now policies flowing out of Santa Fe have caused more difficulties in the state.
Those policies have made other surrounding states, though they can’t compare culturally,
geographically, or climate wise with New Mexico, more desirable place to live, to support a family, to
secure an education for one’s children and to operate a business.”

Recently, Adelante Now Foundation commissioned a statewide poll conducted by Brian Sanderoff with
Research and Polling, Inc. to test public opinion of parents, grandparents and guardians regarding
opening schools for the 2021 school year.
Among the findings, the poll shows that:
• 52% believe that the local school board should be the decision maker as to when to reopen
public school for in-person learning, while 30% believe that the decision should rest with state
governmental leaders.
• 66% believe that schools should be opened completely or opened, at least, on a hybrid model or
for in-person learning, while only 25% believe that schools should remain closed to in-person
learning.
One of the major concerns communicated is that people believe that New Mexico’s students are falling
behind academically while students also are experiencing the results of isolation which often include
depression or other mental health issues.
When asked what concerns, if any, respondents have regarding the fact that our
child(ren)/grandchild(ren) are not able to attend school for in-person learning or participate in in-person
school activities 91% shared concerns. (Respondents were able to choose more than one response when
giving their answers.)

Here are the responses:
CONCERNS REGARDING CHILD(REN)/GRANDCHILD(REN) NOT BEING
ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING OR ACTIVITIES
AMONG THOSE WHO ARE PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS/GUARDIANS OF CHILD(REN) UNDER 18
TOTAL RESPONSES (N=313)
TOP 8 UNAIDED RESPONSES
FALLING BEHIND ACADEMICALLY 42%
ISOLATED/CAN’T SEE FRIENDS 35%
DEPRESSED/ANXIOUS/SAD 15%
STRUGGLING WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING 15%
NO SPORTS/CLUBS 6%
NO BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 5%
NOT CONCERNED 9%
NOTHING IN PARTICULAR 5%
To learn more about Adelante Now Educational Foundation’s initiatives, please visit us on the web at
www.adelantenow.net.